She was nicknamed Sergeant Joff when she was in the army. Now in civilian life, she has chosen to keep this pseudonym to create her brand. Laura Joffroy is 35 years old and has already lived several lives. Today, she spends a good part of her time crocheting to make handbags, purses and other key rings. The young woman loves color, sequins, retro and recycled cotton fabrics. The complete opposite of what she wore during her five years in the army, where she quickly became an officer: “Sergeant Joff, that’s totally me. I have always, without wanting to, gone beyond the clichés we have of what a man or a woman should be. »
As a child, when she lived near Troyes, in a small country village, Laura already did classical dance and played football. As a teenager, she was already determined to join the army: “I believe in patriotic values, in serving others, in the civic role that we have to play in society. »
As soon as she finished high school, the young girl joined the army and joined the 48e Signals regiment, based in Agen. This is how she arrived in Lot-et-Garonne. In the space of two years, she obtained the rank of sergeant, a more than rapid rise within the Grande Muette. But at the end of her contract, she decided to leave the ranks “to be able to have a family life. In the army, it's complicated. We go on mission six months of the year. »
From dresses to bags
She discovered crochet with her first daughter: “I wanted to make her little dresses. The desire surely came from my grandmother, whom I saw knitting when I was little… My mother-in-law showed me the basic stitches; the rest I acquired by self-taught. It became addictive. » The young mother then made an entire wardrobe for her daughter. And just when the latter was getting a little big to wear her mother's creations, Laura Joffroy fell pregnant again. From a boy, this time, “for whom I couldn’t knit dresses. So, I started creating bags. » She lets her friends and loved ones benefit from her new hobby, then friends of friends… And faced with this unexpected success, she takes the plunge and formalizes her new status as an art craftsman, by setting up her business in 2023.
She starts by selling via the Internet. The Sergent Joff brand attracts customers all over France. “I have fun making collections according to the seasons, using different materials, like raffia in summer, for example, or floral inserts in spring. » Sergeant Joff also works at the command. Being exhibited in a boutique via the Brotherhood of Crafts is a first for her. If making handbags is now Laura's livelihood, Sergeant Joff is not put to sleep. For several months, the young woman has been training to be a volunteer firefighter at the Villeneuve-sur-Lot barracks. She thus regained her “role as a citizen”.
Sergent Joff's creations can be seen at the La Confrérie des métiers d'art boutique, on the Sainte-Catherine square, and on the SergentJoff PassionCrochet Facebook page.
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